Stand My Ground
by SauceInACan
Summary: When Shadowclan suffers a major drop in population, they decide to take into their Clan every kit from the other three Clans. Lostkit is a kit stolen from her Clan, Windclan, and is told that she must bring the kits back into their rightful Clan. However, it is a challenge, as Lostkit was born blind. Can Lostkit still fulfill her destiny without the aid of sight?
1. Chapter 1

Lostkit froze. She felt an immense amount of fear weep from her mother's body, and it felt uncomfortable, as if every sense of courage left in the little kit's body was sucked out of her like the color from leafbare, She wanted to see the bravery in her mother's face, but, no matter how much she wished and prayed, all she saw was black.

A soft pelt brushed against Lostkit's, and Horsekit's smoothing scent wafted in her nose. Unlike their mother, Horsekit gave off a sense of denial, as if he dared these strange cats to come closer despite how even their mother and the rest of the queens in the nursery reeked of fear.

"Mommy, what are they going to do to us?" Asked a tom, who Lostkit could tell from the quivering voice and the strange accent was Freshkit. His mother licked his ear, the gentle lapping sound making Lostkit envy the timid kit. She was barely four moons old, yet her mother had already treated them like they were warriors.

"I hope not too much. You are too young to die," Sunflower, Freshkit's mother, muttered softly, her treatment of Freshkit causing frustration to rage inside Lostkit. Horsekit licked her head, whispering words of comfort to her, but she ignored it.

Then, a short, loud cough cause Lostkit to flinch. These cats sounded mean! "I'd hate to interrupt such a precious little moment, but I'm afraid we haven't much time. Just give us the kits, and we'll be on our way. Don't, and... well, we'll let our claws do the talking."

Lostkit felt her fur bristle as a cold tongue rubbed against her back. "I don't care what you threaten, my kits belong with me. I won't let you even lay a whisker on them without a fight."

"Way to go, mom!" Horsekit murmured as he groomed Lostkit calmly. Lostkit, however, could feel the ripples of unease stir from the depths of his fluffy fur.

"Mousebrain," Lostkit thought out loud. Freshkit shot her a glance, she could feel his eyes pick at her fur. It was surprise that stung in his glare, as if he was shocked to see her call her own mother a name. Lostkit ignored the look, instead staring at the cats as if she could see.

"What'll it be?" A tom growled, the viciousness of his tone nearly shaking Lostkit. "We haven't got all night, you know. Oh, and your time to think is done. What'll it be?"

"I-I'll give you mine... just, please don't hurt them too much..." Sunflower offered with a quaking voice, and Lostkit heard Fiercekit, Freshkit's brother, yowl in defeat.

"Excellent. Come here, you three, or I'll hurt mommy," The tom chuckled in a threatening yet playful sneer.

"Please... we'll come... we'll come..." Rosekit squealed, her tiny paws thumping against the stone around Lostkit's nest. "Don't... hurt anymore cats..."

As the others followed after Rosekit, Lostkit heard Moonlight give off a small screech. She figured it was because the tom turned to her.

"And you?" The tom whispered ever-so softly to Moonlight. "Aren't you a pretty little she-cat? Too bad we can't take youalong, it'll be fun watching you work."

"I have a mate, just for you to know," Moonlight snapped, the intensity of her words causing Lostkit to smirk. She liked Moonlight. "And I too will give up my kits, not that I want to, but because I want to avoid an unnecessary battle. I'm not as strong as I once was."

Lostkit took notice of Marshkit's wail of denial. "You are too strong, mommy," she had said, her voice quivering with uncertainty.

"Shut it. I know I'm not, now go with the other four. May Starclan light your path," Moonlight grumbled, her voice cracking with tears and sorrow. "I... I want to see you again soon, Marshkit, Dewkit, and Eaglekit. Please, be safe, and on your best behavior for me."

"Mommy, I don't wanna leave. I wanna be with you," Dewkit cried, the anguish in her voice breaking Lostkit's heart. She felt tears sting in her own eyes.

"Yeah, mommy. You may not be as strong as before, but we'll still protect you, and hope for the best for you, no matter if they trapped us far away," Eaglekit comforted the queen, his voice smooth as if he were the mother and Moonlight was the kit.

"Now or never," The tom scoffed, and the three kits let out a yowl of misery as they sweep past Lostkit and Horsekit, to which Dewkit tried desperately to cling to Lostkit's slick fur with no avail, as his little kitten claws slip through the fluff with a whimper.

"Good. Now, Rabbithop, what about you? Will you give up your precious little life for your kits like you promised? Or will you give them away to us? We'll take care of the kits of the great Rabbithop," The tom grunted, his nose pressed against Lostkit's head. She felt hopelessness stir in her heart. What would they do to a blind kit?

"I... no, I can't. I'm sorry, but you can't have them. They belong with me, in Windclan, and not with a barbaric warrior like yourselves. If you were to kill me, do it now. You are not getting these kits," Rabbithop proclaimed, intrepidity masking the fear hidden deep inside her. Lostkit caught a frustrated grunt come from the Shadowclan tom.

"...You'd rather die before you give up your kits? Well, that can be arranged," With a scream of battle, the visitor launched himself onto her mother; Lostkit heard the yowl as her mother hit the floor of the nursery, blood covering the comforting scents of the nursery as the last of Rabbithop's unfinished yell was cut off by death. There was no more scents of emotion coming from Lostkit's mother.

"You... you monster!" Lostkit bellowed, her legs swaying. Her mother was dead, there was no denying it. Lostkit tensed when she realized that she had no idea how her mother was killed, and whether or not the tom gloated over his victory, as all her working senses seemed to fog up. All she felt was rage and depression.

In a heartbeat, a powerful jaw clamped around the small kit's scruff, and she inhaled the scent of a different Shadowclan cat, most likely a male due to his strong jowl. She heard Horsekit let out a squawk of surprise as the tom carried her away from the nursery. Away from her now dead mother, but mostly her only home in order to make her a slave to their own desires, and not only that but by force as well, and Lostkit couldn't help but leave the familiar scents behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Lostkit sighed. It had been days since she was last in Windclan, and all she had to do was sit in the Shadowclan camp and listen to the warriors insults. She wanted to be of some use, whether it was moving branches or distributing prey, but no warrior would let her, as she was blind. Lostkit dug her claws into the ground in frustration. Do these cats have no respect for the small she-kit?

A smell alerted Lostkit of Freshkit's arrival. She turned to the tom, not actually seeing but could feel the frustration radiating off his fur.

"Is everything okay?" Lostkit asked, her voice quivering. It had been days since she last spoke, mostly because she had no reason to. She wasn't surprised to find that Freshkit was reluctant, as they were in the middle of the camp. They weren't allowed out of camp without permission, as it could lead to them running away, and, in order to leave camp, they had to have two warriors with them. Lostkit found it kind of intimidating to have two grown cats watch her make her dirt.

"I'll... tell you about it later. Come on. Whiskerwish wants us to help out with the nursery. Apparently there's a draft these days, and they want us to gather twigs and branches so we can patch up the nursery," Freshkit mumbled, flicking Lostkit with his tail.

Lostkit froze, her paws kneading into the ground. "I... can't. It's too much work for me."

"Come on! You've got to help out one way or another. Remember what happened to that Thunderclan kit?" Freshkit growled, suddenly growing fierce. "You could only hold the twigs, and use our scents to get more. Your eyes may not work, but your nose and ears do, very well. Don't forget that."

"But I can't _see_!" Lostkit snapped, her tail fluffing up. "I can't see surroundings, and I can't see other cats. I'll be useless for anything that may happen while we're gone."

Freshkit let out a purr of sympathy, which Lostkit completely ignored. She didn't want other cats to pity her blindness, she wanted to help. "You can hear and smell things better than any cat I know. You'll have plenty of use if anything were to happen. You can warn us if there's enemies nearby."

"But I can't fight."

"Fighting isn't everything, Lostkit. Now, come along, or I'll give you a reason to wish you could see," Freshkit pulled Lostkit away, to which the blind she-kit grumbled and followed Freshkit to Whiskerwish, the senior warrior's scent disgusting the small kit.

"He smells like old badger meat," Lostkit whispered to Freshkit on the way to the elderly warrior, and Freshkit chuckled in response.

"He looks like it, too," Freshkit pointed out, and it was Lostkit's turn to giggle, hearing Whiskerwish's cough showing that he heard their little conversation. Lostkit couldn't tell, but it felt like the elderly warriors sharp eyes were focused right on her.

There was another cough. "Hmm... I guess she'll do, Freshkit... though she can't really see. Oh, and that's one for disrespecting your senior warriors. I hope you behave better in the future."

"We will..." Freshkit mumbled, leading Lostkit with him as they trekked into the vast, unknown woods outside the walls of Shadowclan camp. It was brimming with scents and life, and Lostkit prayed to Starclan above that one day she'll be able to see the forest for herself. As of right now, everything, the beautiful and the ugly, the good and the bad, were pitch-black and drained of any signs of life. One would think they were dead in this much darkness.

Freshkit stopped, and Lostkit ran into him, oblivious to why. She picked up the whispering of leaves, behind them, chatters of other kits put to work in an act against all of Starclan's great code. Tiny claws gripped into the ground as Freshkit passed on a mouthful of twigs to her. With a nod, not knowing if he had responded, Lostkit trudged off to camp, following the trail of pawprints edged into the ground, making sure each of her paws fit into the craters dug into the earth.

As she continued on, Lostkit couldn't help but get lost. The trees around her was filled with intriguing scents and wildlife, and, before long, a disgusting, foul scent found it's way up Lostkit's nose, causing her to gag. Whatever smelled _that _bad must be dead, or haven't bathed in moons.

After a heartbeat of hesitation, Lostkit decided to search out the source of that foul stench, following it until she heard the heavy breathing of a cat in pain, and she halted quickly, her ears angled to the sound.

"Lostkit!" A tom barked from behind her. Lostkit squealed and fell to her stomach, pressing flat against the ground as she acted like she wasn't there, dropping the sticks in the process. Discordstar, however, proved that he had already seen her. "Where is your guide?"

"I'm sorry, Discordstar! I smelled a bad scent, so I decided to follow it. I didn't tell Whiskerwish or anybody, because they'll think I'm crazy," Lostkit whimpered, her ears hugged against her head. "But, Discordstar, there's a cat in pain out there! Shouldn't we help?"

"No. Leave her. I'll take care of it later. Now, come with me. You've broken serious rules by leaving camp without warriors, and I'm afraid that'll have to be punished," Discordstar snarled, pulling Lostkit away with his tail.

"I was with Whiskerwish, helping bring sticks to the nursery, and I got lost..." Lostkit blurted out, burying her chin in her chest. "I didn't mean to drift away from the group, but it gets hard to when you _can't see_." The last two words were a bit harsher than what Lostkit planned, but they still brought up a good point.

"Very well. I do see your point. If I catch you outside of camp without a warrior, then I won't be as merciful. Now, come along. Let's go back to camp," Discordstar set off again without giving Lostkit any time to prepare. The sightless she-kit let out a groan of defeat as she followed the Shadowclan leader to the camp by his rather disgusting scent.

After a few heartbeats of unsettling silence, Lostkit mustered all the courage to ask Discordstar a question she bet he was not expecting by the way he reacted. "Why? Why did you steal us from our mothers and brought us to a place where we'll live unhappily. We want to be with our mothers, or fathers, and with our own clanmates. So why did you take us?"

"It's not about what _you _want, it's about what _we _need. Now, stop your whining or I'll personally snap your head off and feed it to your brothers and friends," Discordstar snapped, causing Lostkit to flinch away and cower in the middle of where ever they were at. "Look, I didn't want it to come to this, but we had no choice."

Lostkit let out a growl of frustration as she rounded up on the tom that was likely ten size her own size. "I don't care! Whatever it was for, what you've done is against the will of Starclan. I've-"

"Shut it! There is no Starclan! Never was, and there never will. If there was, and if it really was against their will, then they would've done something by now, wouldn't they?" Discordstar told Lostkit, his voice growing less and less bitter with each word.

Lostkit couldn't respond. Was there really no Starclan? _It's just one of Shadowclan's tricks. I'm sure Starclan's trying their hardest to free us, _Lostkit thought, though she hardly believed her own words. As they continued on to the Shadowclan base, the blind kit lost all the faith her small body had held in her. There wasn't going to be any help sooner or later. They'll all probably die here before any of the other Clans could act. 


	3. Chapter 3

**AE: So terribly sorry for the late post. I've been just so busy that I didn't have time for writing. I didn't want to rush this chapter, like I did with the ending of the last. I promise that, on every Monday, I will post a new chapter.**

**Also, I'd like to thank Scarpath2001 for posting a review on every chapter so far. It really have motivated me to keep writing, knowing that at least one person likes my writing.**

**Again, terribly sorry for the late post. I hope this chapter shows just how much I'm sorry.**

Run.

Only Starclan knows how much Lostkit wanted to run away, back to Winclan, back to her home, but, alas, she couldn't leave, and, even if she managed to escape, they'll only look for her, take her back, and would most likely kill her. Though Lostkit thought at first that going back home, being with cats who would care for her, love her despite her disability, she realized that the risk was too high. In fact, it'll only bring more hurt to her old Clanmates, and to the kits who were also stolen.

With a sigh, Lostkit rolled over in her nest, feeling her ear sting from where Featherbreeze scratched it. The young blind cat couldn't sleep, not with Whiskerwish snoring over by the dirtplace tunnel. None of the other cats could sleep, Lostkit could tell by their frequent mewls in the dark, rotten place.

"Psst! Lostkit, come here!" Freshkit hissed, jabbing a paw into Lostkit's rib. With a snarl, Lostkit jumped out of the nest and followed Freshkit's scent to a rabbit hole near the edge of the clearing, where the scents of the other kits who couldn't rest drifted from. Lostkit could hear the rumble of Talonkit's purr, the Thunderclan kit grooming Honeykit, who was from Riverclan. The sightless she-kit could hear the lapping of the tom's tongue as the two made their way past.

"Is this everyone?" Horsekit's deep voice sounded from nowhere as Freshkit lead Lostkit through the mass of gathered cats. Lostkit could smell the awful reek of Thunderclan mixed with Shadowclan as Frogkit made her way to Horsekit.

"Horsekit, may we begin?" The she-kit said softly, and Horsekit let out a snort of agreement before sending the Thunderclan cat away to gather the kits. Lostkit felt overwhelmed with the rushing of different scents; Rosekit's precious stench guided the blind kit to Freshkit's sister, Icekit's dingy smell wafted from beside the Windclan kit, telling Lostkit he must be there as well. As Lostkit sat down besides her old clanmate, she heard the older tom give a soft snarl before turning to talk to Eaglekit, who Lostkit felt his strange glare rest on her.

"Hello, Lostkit. Pay no mind to mousebrain Icekit. You're always welcomed to sit with me, anytime you want!" Rosekit told the disabled kit with a gleeful squeak. With a smile, Lostkit picked up Marshkit's pleasant smell, telling the blind kit of her arrival.

"This rabbit hole is a bit small, but it'll do," Marshkit sighed as she sat by Lostkit, rubbing her pelt against the smaller kit's; Lostkit could even feel muscles beneath the older kit's thick, ruffling fur. "Hi, Freshkit. Am I in your spot?"

"Not really. I can move," Lostkit's tom friend replied softly, and it seemed a bit forced. Marshkit must've noticed it, as Lostkit felt the other she-kit's warmth vanish. "You don't have to leave. I said I'll find a new spot."

"Oh, no no no! I insist! Besides, you and Lostkit would make good mates," Marshkit pushed the tom besides Lostkit, his claws scratched against the ground. Lostkit, however, did not notice, as she was still caught on what Marshkit said.

"Wait... what?!" Lostkit screeched over the chatter in the room, feeling warmth spread under her cheek fur as the other kits settled down to prick at her fur with their eyes. It was a different type of warmth, a warmth Lostkit knew little about. Why did her fur feel like it was on fire? With quick strokes she tried to cool her fur down, hearing Marshkit let out a giggle.

"At least my brother tries to hide it..." Rosekit mumbled in Lostkit's ear, a purr of amusement catching in her throat.

"Be quiet! Horsekit's beginning to speak!" Icekit yelled out from behind me, and Lostkit felt Horsekit's anxious stare fall onto her with such cold anger and disappointment staggering in it, Lostkit thought she would freeze over.

As silence fell over the crowd, Lostkit felt Freshkit's pelt rub against her as he finally gave in to Marshkit and sat down. Lostkit snuggled against the older tom, a cold drift ruffling her fur.

"Now, everybody, we must be quiet. We don't want Whiskerwish to wake up, or else we'll get caught," Horsekit said, taking his eyes off of his sister. "Anyways, me and Frogkit have come to a conclusion. We cannot stay here much longer. In the morning, after the dawn patrol leaves, we'll lead an attack."

"But, Horsekit! We don't have any strength to rise against that many older cats," Wishkit, a Riverclan kit, blurted out from near Lostkit.

"Not unless we try our hardest," Frogkit replied, her voice quivering. Lostkit smelled the fear wafting off her. "We can do it if we don't give up. Just listen to Horsekit."

"Not to be rude, sis, but that's the most mousebrained thing I've ever heard," Talonkit said, and Icekit let out a snort of agreement. Freshkit, however, murmured to Lostkit about how they should be more optimistic.

Knocking Lostkit away all the sudden, Freshkit stood up with a grunt. "Listen, everybody! I know it may be hard, and I know that they may be experienced, but you got to remember that they need us! They won't do us much harm unless Discordstar gave them orders."

For some reason, Lostkit hardly believed those words. Earlier that day, Flutterbreeze had denied Discordstar's order to go easy on the small kit. Lostkit flinched with the thought of her deep claws scathing her poor ear, which stung at the reminder. From the scent that Freshkit gave off, he did not believe what he was saying. Lostkit felt his worrying eyes drift onto her before they flashed away in a heartbeat.

"But... Freshkit, earlier today..." Eaglekit spoke out from behind the blind she-kit. "Flutterbreeze..."

"I know. But Flutterbreeze went to the Gathering, and, with how she was today, she won't be able to stay up long enough."

"Oh, yeah, the Gathering," Lostkit mumbled to herself before standing up to stand besides Freshkit. "Listen, everybody! There's a large portion of the strongest cats that went to the Gathering. I think we should attack right away instead of waiting for them to get back. It'll be too risky."

"Yeah, but you've got to remember that Gorsethroat left behind some strong cats like Whiskerwish and Owltalon behind," Rosekit hissed to the other kit, who only twitched her ear before Horsekit continued.

"Exactly, Lostkit! However, you'll be staying behind. You and Freshkit," Horsekit growled, anger radiating off of Lostkit's brother.

"Why me?" Freshkit whined.

"Because you need to keep Lostkit safe. It's too dangerous for a small kit like Lostkit to run out there, or worst, get mauled by fatty Owltalon. Besides, she'll only listen to you," Horsekit sighed, his eyes resting on Lostkit with a feeling of 'you better stay put.' It frightened Lostkit so much that she sat down, not wanting to leave her spot. "Good. Now, we'll attack Whiskerwish first, since he's the guard of the dirtplace and he also snores so loud he'll never hear us coming!"

"Yeah!" Every kit with the exception of Icekit, Lostkit, Freshkit, and Talonkit shouted out in unison before rushing out. Lostkit heard Icekit grunt before Frogkit came over.

"Come on, Icekit! I want you and Talonkit to help me!" Frogkit shrieked gleefully. "We're going to take on Owltalon together!"

"Isn't that a bit too risky?" Eaglekit asked from besides Icekit, and Frogkit answered with a pout. Lostkit expected the she-kit to start sobbing then and there.

"Exactly, Frogkit. You know we're too young to be going there all by ourselves." Icekit growled forcefully, and Lostkit picked up his fear. Did Icekit really just say that to protect his sister?

"You never do anything," Frogkit sneered.

"I take care of you and Talonkit, don't I? Now, stop whining and sit down!" Icekit snarled.

"Oh, I'm not whining, I'm complaining," Frogkit stated in a matter-of-fact way before she continued in a whimper: "This is whining. Oh, Icekit, why won't you come? I thought you wanted me to be happy. And I don't want to sit down, you can't make me! You never do anything for the Clan, for the kits, for me! Just-"

"Shut up!" Icekit snapped, and Lostkit could hear his frustration. "Just shut up! I'm not coming, Toad. Not now, not ever."

"Did you... did you just call me... Toad...?" Frogkit sniffled.

"No! I didn't... I didn't mean it like-" Icekit began, only to get cut off by Frogkit's loud yowl of sorrow. Talonkit, out of nowhere, walked to his brother.

"What did you do?" Talonkit said.

"I didn't do anything! I swear!" Icekit declared as Frogkit yowled, "He said I was a toad!"

"Why did you say she was a toad?" Talonkit asked, his voice dropping with bitterness.

"I didn't call her a toad, I was talking to..." Icekit sounded desperate. "... Lostkit!"

"Lostkit isn't a toad, Icekit," Freshkit blurted out to Lostkit's defense. "I'm pretty sure she's a cat."

"I'd like to be a toad," Lostkit exclaimed randomly, feeling everyone of them staring at her.

"Will you guys just shut it and go?!" Eaglekit yelled fiercely as Icekit and Talonkit hissed and followed Frogkit, who smelled happy as they left. "Are you sure you can protect her, Freshkit?" Eaglekit asked Freshkit in a snarl.

"I think I can handle her," Freshkit snorted, his pelt prickled as he pulled Lostkit with his tail in a way Lostkit couldn't see how, but, then again, she was pretty tiny.

With a grunt, Eaglekit hurried away, his glare narrowing down on Lostkit before his scent faded.

"Wow, what a drama-mouse," Freshkit growled, and Lostkit felt afraid. She never heard Freshkit sound so bitter. "Anyways, we better get to sleep. It's almost morning. And you better not leave my side. Ever."

Lostkit nodded before laying down, snuggling up besides Freshkit and let her eyes close.

"What is the meaning of this!" Lostkit woke to Discordstar's loud yell. She felt Freshkit's slow breathing, telling her that he was asleep. With soft movements as to not wake Freshkit, Lostkit trudged out the rabbit hole and padded to the Shadowclan camp, using the awful scents to guide her.

"Would anyone care to explain who, in Starclan's name, decided it would be smart to attack?" Discordstar wailed, obviously upset. Lostkit found herself standing up tall and looking straight at Discordstar as if she could see him before calling out to him.

"It was me, Discordstar," Lostkit bellowed, fear rising in the pit of her stomach. "I was the one who told them to attack."

She felt Discordstar's strong stare rest on her, his frustration dimming down to confusion and... fear? Lostkit shivered, but hid it as she heard Discordstar whisper, "Lostkit... the prophecy..."

Lostkit felt as if Discordstar said more, but as he spoke, Flutterbreeze let out a snarl and threw herself in front of the blind kit; Lostkit could smell her vile scent suffocating her as the older cat leaned forward.

"You think _you're_ so tough, huh? Well, I'll let my claws show you wrong," Flutterbreeze let out a hoarse laugh that sounded as if it was too forced. "Just like they showed your mother wrong."

"You... you killed her?!" Lostkit hissed, her mind slipping as Flutterbreeze whipped her with a long tail , bringing massive pain as Lostkit tumbled, only to stand with her tail twitching.

With a chuckle, Flutterbreeze started thumping over to her, her hind legs beating the ground in huge shakes that Lostkit nearly toppled over.

"To the left!" A voice whispered in her ears. Lostkit twitched her ear, following the weird voice's advice as Flutterbreeze slammed into the ground next to her, the loud thud she cause making Lostkit flinch. In a heartbeat, the older she-cat let out a ferocious snarl that seemed to belong to a badger.

"Duck!" The disembodied coo of the mysterious thing rumbled Lostkit's ear fur, and Lostkit dove to the ground as Flutterbreeze's paw whizzed over her head.

"Flutterbreeze! Back away from her this instance!" Discordstar yowled at his disobedient warrior, who only spat venom at him as she thumped the ground with her front paws.

"But... Discordstar, she..." Flutterbreeze hissed, only to stop as her leader picked Lostkit up by her scruff, the feeling of his long, sharp fangs into the back of her neck made Lostkit squirm in his grasps.

"Now, tell me. Who did this?" Discordstar demanded to know through Lostkit's fur, his breath warming her fur. When the only answer he got was silence, the ShadowClan leader let out a frustrated cry, removing his clamped jaws from Lostkit's fur.

"It was me, Discordstar. I'm the one who did it," Lostkit lied, stammering as she stood up for her brother, for she was less important than he was. However, instead of Discordstar ripping her limb to limb, he stood there, muttering so softly to himself that his voice didn't reach Lostkit when she was sitting right in front of him.

"I knew it! C'mon, Discordstar! Let me tear her apart!" Whiskerwish snorted. Lostkit felt her fur prickle under his cruel stare.

"Kill her!" Another ShadowClan tom howled as Discordstar loomed over the kit, his silence somewhat shocking to Lostkit. She always viewed him as the leader quick to defend the poor kit.

"She's no use to use, Discordstar! No use to any cat!" A she-cat yelled, and yowls of agreement raised over the mad murmuring of their shaken leader.

"No!" Horsekit's lone cry quieted the cats around him, their temper towards the blind kit fading as Horsekit began speaking. "No, she's not. I'm the one who wanted revenge. I'm the one who thought of attacking. I even told Lostkit and Freshkit to stay behind. If anybody were to get killed, it should be me."

Every cat in the clearing hushed completely, and Lostkit felt as if the ground beneath her was crumbling down. She had already lost the mother she loved with all her young heart, she couldn't think how she could cope with the loss of her only brother, the only cat who loved her left.

"Haha! Silly kit, you'd be sorry you've ever spoken up!" Flutterbreeze cackled, paws disturbing the ground as Lostkit tried to speak out in denial, but not enough air escaped to form the words. She could hear the larger feline throw Horsekit against the ground repeatedly.

Before long, the hotheaded warrior began clawing at him; Lostkit could smell her brother's blood. It was a disgusting scent, and Lostkit tried her best to cover it up with the aroma of grass, but it was just too powerful. In a few heartbeats, Discordstar managed to regain his voice as he quickly disciplined one of his strongest warriors. Meanwhile, Lostkit quickly rushed towards Horsekit's side in an attempt to tell if there was anything she could do.

"Hold on, Horsekit..." She muttered, her voice cracking in the effort to let words out. She started again, stronger than before, "Hold on, Horsekit. I'll get Wishfrost... You'll be okay, don't worry..."

"No..." Horsekit coughed weakly, the blood-scent growing stronger as he spoke. "No, Lostkit. If you do, you'll get in trouble, and I don't want that.

"But, Horsekit..." Lostkit sobbed, her voice growing weaker. "I don't care if I get hurt, or even killed, I just want to know you're alive and well. That's why... That's why I lied."

"Well, I don't," Horsekit let out a half-hearted laugh. "I... I want you to live on. And before I pass on, before I go to StarClan, I just want to let you know that... you're beautiful, Lostkit. Don't let these mangy crowfood eaters let you know otherwise. In a few moons, you'll have a mate... and the most beautiful kits the forest would ever see..."

"Horsekit..." Lostkit gasped. "Horsekit, I... I'm blind! There's no way a tom would ever love a she-cat who can't see."

Horsekit, however, let out a purr as he countered her argument, "I may know one..."

With his final statement, his last words directed to Lostkit, the tom drew a quivering breath before his head fell to the ground with a thump. As she heard this, Lostkit let out a mournful whimper before throwing herself on Horsekit, her breath stuttering with sorrow as she cried for her loss.

After a while, she became aware of another cat's arrival, and, before he could say anything, Lostkit left her brother's side and dug her nose deep into the thick fur of Freshkit. In a few heartbeats, the tom began licking Lostkit's ear in comfort, trying his best to drag Lostkit's mind off of the cold death of her brother.


	4. Chapter 4

_No._

_Horsekit isn't dead. He couldn't be. He's just too young._ Lostkit licked the ruffled fur on her shoulder, desperately trying to comfort herself all on her own. However, none of the words she told herself covered a tiny speck of the truth: Horsekit was dead.

_If I don't believe he's gone, maybe, just maybe, I'll wake up from this dream. _Lostkit felt the surge of doubt drift up her spine. _He'll always be gone. It feels wrong, in his absence, but I just got to deal with it._

"I just got to move on," Lostkit accidentally blurted out, feeling everybody's confused gaze rest on her.

"Lostkit, are you all right?" Rosekit whispered, her smothering scent wrapped around Lostkit's head like a mother would wrap around her kit. The blind kit couldn't help but tell herself that she was all right, that she was only in a dream.

"I'm fine," Lostkit snarled before isolating herself even more. "I just want to be alone right now, if you don't mind."

"I know these times may be hard for you, Lostkit, but you just got to remember that I'm always here for you, and so is Freshkit and Marshkit. All you have to do is ask for help, and don't be afraid to do so," Rosekit muttered softly before leaving, her soft pawsteps evanescent as Lostkit blindly stared above her.

Lostkit looked over her shoulder at where she guessed Rosekit had went, sorrow overwhelming her feelings of doubt and denial. _I can't make myself weaker than I already have._ _I just have to deal with his loss alone and not bring any other cat into this._

"We all live, and we all die," Lostkit reminded herself. "I just got to remember that. But, still, it feels like a dream, or a nightmare."

"Who are you talking to?" Freshkit sighed, causing Lostkit to squeak and jump like a fraidy-mouse. "I'm sorry I startled you."

"It's quite all right," Lostkit breathed in Freshkit's scent. It smelled so nice, so fresh, and Lostkit wished she could shelter in his scent, hide herself from her pain. "And I was talking to myself. I didn't realize I was saying these things aloud."

Freshkit gave out a half amused, half worried rumble from deep in his throat. "Rosekit told me about her little talk with you. She went on and on about how mouse-brained you were about being alone that I felt that it would settle her down if I went to talk to you."

"Is that all you came here for?" Lostkit asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at the ground. "If so, forget it. She can complain all she wants."

The young tom licked her ears as he tried to soothe her down. "Now, now. Don't act like that. I-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Lostkit spat, jumping to all four paws and letting the fur on her back raise. "I can act however I want, and I don't see how it affects you. Now, would you be so kind and _leave me alone_!"

"Listen, Lostkit. I-"

"No, _you _listen!" Lostkit snarled, frustration covering her sorrow. "If I say I want to be alone, I want to be alone, and there's nothing you can do or say that can change that."

"I don't care if you want to be alone, or if you want to die, or anything like that. I'm staying put, and you can't do anything about that," Freshkit muttered harshly, and, for a heartbeat, Lostkit felt guilty for yelling, but that guilt was pushed aside in exchange for more anger.

Lostkit, in turn, opened her jaw, only to slam it shut when her mind caught up to her words. Instead of giving an even more bitter retort, she sat down and lowered her head to let Freshkit lick the tension between them away. As heartbeats that felt like moons went by, Lostkit felt most of her anger diminish.

However, as she stayed with Freshkit, Lostkit's original feelings of irritation disrupted her mind. With every lap of his gentle tongue, anger dripped from her like blood from a wound. Within heartbeats, she lashed out at Freshkit.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lostkit grumbled, feeling Freshkit's hurt wash off of him.

"I was grooming you. You looked like you needed a good washing," Freshkit pointed out, his paws scrabbling against the ground as his scent grew fainter.

"You aren't my mother!" Lostkit snapped, her tiny claws unsheathing and scrapping against floor of the rabbit hole. She could smell her friend's fear-scent drip off him like dew from a leaf, but she ignored it and instead launched herself at him, ripping her kitten claws through his thick fur. Lostkit couldn't care whether she clawed into his skin or not, but it felt good to get all her anger out.

As she dug her claws deep into Freshkit, she felt her grief swell in her heart. She slackened her blows, only to receive a cuff to the ear that left her staggering. With a gasp, she hit the ground, feeling her heart rip as she heard Horsekit's voice yell at her to stop.

While Lostkit slowly recovered, Freshkit slammed into her, knocking her down again. She cried for him to stop, her grief for her brother overcoming any anger she had left, but he didn't listen. Instead, he held his paw on her chest, hatred swelling over him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I snapped!" Lostkit sobbed, her paws scrabbling as she tried to push him off, but he held his ground. "It's just so hard... without him here..."

_It should have been me_.

"Um... Is everything okay, Freshkit?" Rosekit questioned out of nowhere, and the pressure on Lostkit's chest softened as Freshkit grunted and padded away, and Lostkit felt guilt under the sorrow her brother's death caused. "You should go apologize. I've never seen him this worked up."

"Why should I apologize? What use is it?" Lostkit mumbled, half to herself. "It should have been me instead of Horsekit. I should have taken him to Wishfrost."

"That's where you're wrong, you stupid furball," Rosekit sighed, her voice bitter. "He risked his life to save you. You should be thankful."

"But... He died because of me..." Lostkit muttered. "It's all my fault. If only I didn't agree with him. Oh, why did it have to be Horsekit, and not me?"

"Because that's not what Starclan wanted. I bet he's up there now, watching over us now, and telling you, 'Please, don't blame yourself, Lostkit.'" Rosekit rested her tail on Lostkit, and, for a heartbeat, Lostkit thought of pushing it away, but she let it stay.

For a while, Lostkit stayed silent, but the feeling of dread washing over her overwhelmed her. "I have to go talk to Freshkit."

"Don't do anything stupid. And don't rush things. He'll come around soon enough," Rosekit told Lostkit as the blind she-kit followed Freshkit's scent trail to the other side of the rabbit den.

"Freshkit!" Lostkit broke into a run, slamming into him as she called for her old friend again. "Freshkit! I just want you to know I'm very, very, _very _sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you, or attacked you, or be as mean as I did. It's just... Horsekit-"

"You miss him?" Freshkit sighed. "Lostkit, you just got to remember that life will be hard, and sometimes you feel frustrated. But you shouldn't shove your anger down another cat's throat and make them deal with it themselves."

Lostkit could walk like a Twoleg with how happy she was, but she forced the excitement down. "Does this mean-"

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here under HighRock for a Clan meeting!" Discordstar yowled, breaking Lostkit's train of thought as she hissed under her breath.

"That sounds important," Freshkit grumbled, knocking Lostkit aside as he heeded the call. "Why don't you come with me?"

"I'd love to," Lostkit responded, hope rising in her chest. _Maybe it could work after all._

"Now, I know we've had some hard times with the recent attack of illness, but I feel that it's time we've accepted new apprentices into the Clan," Discordstar called out to the gathered cats. Lostkit felt her legs shake as she listened, for she had no clue what will happen. "And, I know they may be from different Clans, but I feel like, if they can fight in well, they'll be great hunters and fighters for Shadowclan. With leafbare coming up soon, we'll need as much hunters and fighters to protect the Clan. Fiercekit, please come up."

Confused chatter erupted throughout the mass of cats, but Discordstar kept going. "Owltalon, you're a skilled and loyal cat, and I'm sure you can pass that on to Fiercepaw."

Lostkit didn't know what happened next, but, after a while, she heard Fiercepaw let out an excited squeak. With a hushed voice, she told Freshkit, "If he was any more excited, I bet he could fly."

As the crowd carried out their conversations, Discordstar addressed to the Clan again. "Rosekit," He called to the she-kit, "Come up."

Lostkit caught a drip of nervousness sweep off of Freshkit's sister, and she felt bad for the little kit. "Whiskerwish, you've served Shadowclan long and great. I believe that you'd be the perfect mentor to young Rosepaw."

Whiskerwish let out a snort of disagreement, but Lostkit guessed that he didn't want to argue with his leader. Rosepaw, however, seemed to want it over quickly. Lostkit purred at the new apprentice's fear-scent.

"Freshkit," Discordstar meowed, his voice stern, "It's your turn."

Lostkit felt a pang of disappointment as Freshkit left her side, but decided it was for the best. He seemed pretty happy, as he had purred when his name was called.

"Adderleap," Discordstar stated after a pause, and Lostkit felt her heart lighten. "You've been one of the best warriors I've ever had, and I trust that you'll pass this on to Freshpaw and make him a great Shadowclan cat despite where his origins lie."

Lostkit felt a surge of pride as the Shadowclan flea-brains began calling out to the three, but hushed all of the sudden.

"I know it may seem weird to accept such a cat into the Clan, especially as a warrior, but she's proven herself to have it in her to become such a great warrior that Shadowclan could be proud of. Lostkit," Discordstar's voice brimmed with excitement, "Come forward."

"What!? Flutterbreeze yelped out, her voice as shocked as Lostkit was as she stood up and made her way towards Discordstar. "But, Discordstar, she's _blind_!"

"Yes! We have no room for imperfect Windclan nuisances here in Shadowclan!" Gorsethroat yowled in agreement.

"Silence! As Clan leader, it is _my _choice. And as for a mentor, I will train Lostpaw if I have to!" Discordstar contradicted the two warriors, who silenced down with a growl. Lostpaw felt a surge of happiness at her new title, but couldn't help but take notice of the three cats' agruement.

_He's their Clan leader, yet they completely disagree with everything Discordstar throws at them. Could this mean something?_

"Meeting dismissed!" Discordstar growled, not bothering to continue the tradition. Lostpaw wondered what could have caused Discordstar to get so cranky, but she pushed the thought away as she put on a smile and padded over to the Clan leader in hopes that they'll set out to tour the territory as soon as they can.

_Whatever happened between Discordstar and his warriors, I'll find out in due time. Nonetheless, I guess I should try to be the best blind warrior I can be. _Lostpaw thought as she sat down next to him, her heart pounded with impatience. _For Horsekit._

**I'm starting to regret killing Horsekit off. It was originally going to be Eaglekit for some random reason, but I said to myself, "As much as I hate Eaglekit, he's just not close enough to Lostkit yet. I can't kill Freshkit, it'll ruin the whole thing. Horsekit's perfect, though. He's close, but he's more of a minor character."**

**Oh, and Horsekit's warrior name was going to be Horsetail. Just putting that out there. I don't wanna hear anyone call him Horseheart or Horsehead or anything like that. And my earphones only come out of one side now, and I really hate that. Makes me want to kill of somebody like Rosekit or Marshkit.**

**This message is pretty long already, but I need to get something off my chest. I was thinking of writing a side-story about Discordstar, and how he got the way he is. I want to know if anybody will be okay with it. I'm actually excited to see how it goes, to be honest.**

**-Sauce**


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